Good wood is paramount in achieving good tone. With over 30 years of sourcing behind us, we are
well connected, and get the good stuff! We have a lot of wood on hand and are able to accommodate
many special criteria, be it weight, grain, 1-piece size, etc. Give us a call. We'll see what we can do.

Bubinga and all species of Rosewood (Dalbergia spp.) such as Indian Rosewood, Palisander Rosewood, Malagasy Rosewood, Kingwood and Cocobolo are wood species recently listed as controlled export products under the CITES treaty. Due to these recent and unexpected changes to the CITES treaty, Warmoth must temporarily suspend international shipments of products which contain these woods until our permit application is approved. Please contact us for help in determining the best alternative species. Shipments of these woods within the USA are not affected.

As you contemplate your body purchase, here are several issues to consider:

1. Looks and Appearances

Each piece of wood is inherently unique. Even within a species, every piece is going to differ from each
other. The grain pattern, color, shade, weight, and density are all subject to Mother Nature's whims. This
does not necessarily make one piece better or worse than another. It means that they are simply different
and unique. Choose the appearance that best suits your personal taste. If the sound of a particular wood
is not as pleasing to your ear as the look is to your eye then think about a laminate top. A thin laminate
top will give you the appearance you are looking for without overshadowing the tone of the core body wood.

2. Sound and Weight

The sonic properties of wood vary dramatically between species, weight and density. Generally speaking, heavier woods sustain well and have a bright and articulate sound, which are all good attributes for a bass
guitar. Extra light weight woods, while a great complement for a bad back, can sound indistinct or muddy
especially with humbucking pickups. Medium weight woods fall in the middle and are the traditional preference.
Compromises may be found by chambering or hollowing the heavier woods. These bodies remain stiff but light
weight for that fat, rich tone with great sustain.

3. Finishing Characteristics

How do you wish to finish your body? Do-it-yourself finishes such as tung oil or Danish oil are the easiest
to apply and look best on darker woods such as koa, walnut and korina. Brightly colored dyes only work on
white western maple like quilt and flame (fiddleback). Transparent colors look best on woods with distinct
grain lines such as ash. Clear gloss finishes can be sprayed on any wood but are difficult to accomplish
without professional equipment.

4. Ordering

When you order, consider what features and attributes you are looking for. How are you going to
finish it — clear or solid? Is weight more important than looks? What kind of tone are you seeking? The more
you know, the better we can fit the right piece of wood to your needs. Call or email us if you have any questions.

Arranged in Alphabetical Order

Alder (Alnus rubra):

Alder is used extensively for bodies because of its lighter weight (about four pounds for a Strat® body)
and its full sound. Its closed grain makes this wood easy to finish. Alder's natural color is a light tan
with little or no distinct grain lines. It looks good with a sunburst or a solid color finish. Because of
its fine characteristics and lower price, Alder is our most popular wood and it grows all around us here in
Washington State. The tone is reputed to be most balanced with equal doses of lows, mids and highs. Alder has
been the mainstay for Fender bodies for many years and its characteristic tone has been a part of some of the
most enduring pieces of modern day contemporary music.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES

NO

Used for laminate tops

X

Used for bodies

X

Used for necks

X

Used for fretboards

X

Ash (Fraxinus americana):

We have two very different types of Ash: Northern Hard Ash and Swamp Ash (Southern Soft Ash).

Northern Hard Ash is very hard, heavy and dense. A Strat® body will normally weigh 5 lbs. and up.
Its density contributes to a bright tone and a long sustain which makes it very popular. Its color is
creamy, but it also tends to have heartwood featuring pink to brown tints. The grain pores are open
and it takes a lot of finish to fill them up.

Swamp Ash is a prized wood for many reasons. It is a fairly light weight wood which makes it easily
distinguishable from Hard Ash. A Strat® body will normally weigh under 5 lbs. Many of the 50's Fenders
were made of Swamp Ash. The grain is open and the color is creamy. This wood is a very nice choice for
clear finishes. Swamp Ash is our second most popular wood. It is a very musical wood offering a very nice
balance of brightness and warmth with a lot of "pop".

Tone-O-Meter™

YES

NO

Used for laminate tops

X

Used for bodies

X

Used for necks

X

Used for fretboards

X

Basswood (Tilia americana):

This is a lighter weight wood normally producing Strat® bodies under 4 lbs. The color is white, but often has nasty green
mineral streaks in it. This is a closed-grain wood, but it can absorb a lot of finish. This is not a good wood for clear
finishes since there is little figure. It is quite soft, and does not take abuse well. Sound-wise, Basswood has a nice,
growley, warm tone with good mids. A favorite tone wood for shredders in the 80s since its defined sound cuts through a mix well.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES

NO

Used for laminate tops

X

Used for bodies

X

Used for necks

X

Used for fretboards

X

Bubinga (Guibourtia demeusei):

This wood species has recently been listed as a controlled export product under the CITES treaty, which regulates international shipping. Due to these recent and unexpected changes to the CITES treaty, Warmoth must temporarily suspend international shipments of products which contain this wood until our permit application is approved. Please contact us for help in determining the best alternative species. Shipments of these woods within the USA are not affected.

A very strong stiff wood used primarily for bass necks and in laminations. Used by Rickenbacker for fretboards and
Warwick for bodies. As a bass neck, it provides bright midrange and a thick well defined bottom. Bodies made form
Bubinga will be very heavy but will sustain for days.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES

NO

Used for laminate tops

X

Used for bodies

X

Used for necks

X

Used for fretboards

X

Koa (Acacia koa):

This very beautiful wood comes exclusively from Hawaii making supply very limited. Its weight varies somewhat
from medium to heavy and is an excellent tone wood for bass guitar bodies. Koa has a warm sound similar to mahogany,
but with a little more brightness. Like walnut, this wood may be oiled, but generally will look its best sprayed clear.
Koa is sometimes available in flame figure.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES

NO

Used for laminate tops

X

Used for bodies

X

Used for necks

X

Used for fretboards

X

Figured Koa (Acacia koa):

Koa is exceptionally beautiful when it develops the flame figure. Available only in thin
laminate tops and sometimes available in higher grades.

Korina, Black (Terminalia superba):

Its true name is Limba from Africa. Black Korina is usually a medium weight wood, but we occasionally get
light weight pieces. It features a very handsome olive color with black streaking. Korina has a naturally
waxy feel to it. Oil finishes work well on this wood. The tone is very similar to Mahogany with added mids.
An excellent tonal choice for hollow chambered bodies!

Tone-O-Meter™

YES

NO

Used for laminate tops

X

Used for bodies

X

Used for necks

X

Used for fretboards

X

Korina, White (Terminalia superba):

Its true name is Limba from Africa. White Korina is a medium to heavy weight wood Korina has a naturally waxy
feel to it. The tone is very similar to Mahogany with added mids. An excellent tonal choice for hollow chambered
bodies. With a Vintage Tint Gloss on it, it resembles the famous Korina Flying Vs of the late 50s.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES

NO

Used for laminate tops

X

Used for bodies

X

Used for necks

X

Used for fretboards

X

Lacewood (Cardwellia sublimis):

Lacewood is imported from Australia. It's a medium weight wood. The grain design ranges from very small spots
to very large spots which create its signature reptilian appearance. Lacewood looks best in the form of a
bookmatched laminate top, but is also available for solid bodies. The tone is similar to Alder but the look is
very exotic with a fish scale like brilliance under a gloss finish! This wood needs a spray on type finish as
opposed to an oil finish.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES

NO

Used for laminate tops

X

Used for bodies

X

Used for necks

X

Used for fretboards

X

Mahogany (Khaya ivorensis):

We use African Mahogany in our body production. It is a medium to heavy weight wood with a Strat® body averaging 5 lbs.
or more. Mahogany is a fine grained wood with great musical properties. The tone is warm and full with good sustain. The
favorite tone wood of the Gibson® brand name; associated with some of the most famous rock music of our time. The grain is
easy to fill. Looks good with clear or transparent red finish.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES

NO

Used for laminate tops

X

Used for bodies

X

Used for necks

X

Used for fretboards

X

Makore (Tieghemella heckelii):

A tropical hardwood from the west coast of Africa with a very similar color to the Mahogany family though with a finer, more lustrous surface finish. Given the normal color and texture variations found in the Mahogany family most people can’t easily distinguish one species from another. Makore can have a degree of figuring that enhances its appearance. Weight wise this wood is pretty similar to Honduran Mahogany and African Mahogany (Khaya) with a specific gravity of .62 and weighing about 39 lbs per cubic foot (Honduran Mahogany is .54 - .64 specific gravity and 34 – 40 lbs per cubic foot, African Mahogany .54 - .59 specific gravity and 34 – 36 pounds per cubic foot). For guitars this is heavy when compared to Swamp Ash and for this reason all three of these woods are much more popular when used as a chambered body. Tonality will be extremely similar to Mahoganies with the primary differences coming from the varied weights/densities within the species

Tone-O-Meter™

YES

NO

Used for laminate tops

X

Used for bodies

X

Used for necks

X

Used for fretboards

X

Maple (Acer saccharum-Hard Maple):

Hard Maple is a very hard, heavy and dense wood. This is the same wood that we use on our necks. The grain is
closed and very easy to finish. The tone is very bright with long sustain and a lot of bite. This wood cannot be
dyed. It looks great with clear or transparent color finishes.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES

NO

Used for laminate tops

X

Used for bodies

X

Used for necks

X

Used for fretboards

X

Soft Maple (Acer macrophyllum):

Western Maple grows all around us here in Washington state. It is usually much lighter weight than Hard
Maple but it features the same white color. It has bright tone with good bite and attack, but is not brittle like
the harder woods can be. Our flame (fiddle-back) and quilted bodies are Western Maple. This type of maple works
great with dye finishes.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES

NO

Used for laminate tops

X

Used for bodies

X

Used for necks

X

Used for fretboards

X

Flame Maple (Acer macrophyllum-Pacific Maple):

Flame, Fiddle-Back or Tiger maple all generally refer to curls (or stripes) as illustrated here. Flame can be
tight, wide, straight or crooked. While we can supply solid 1-piece or 2-piece flame bodies, this wood is most
beautiful in the form of a bookmatched laminate top.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES

NO

Used for laminate tops

X

Used for bodies

X

Used for necks

X

Used for fretboards

X

Quilted Maple (Acer macrophyllum-Pacific Maple):

Quilted maple is a more rare form of figure occurring mostly in western maple. It is distinguished by its billowing
cloud or even popcorn appearance. This figure can vary from large, wide billows to tight small blisters. As with
flame, quilted maple is most often used as a bookmatched top, but is sometimes available as 1-piece or 2-piece solid bodies.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES

NO

Used for laminate tops

X

Used for bodies

X

Used for necks

X

Used for fretboards

X

Spalted Maple (Acer macrophyllum-Pacific Maple):

This wood is actually the product of a dead or decaying tree. The dark lines are created by fungal attack.
This wood is soft and punky and is only used as a thin laminate bookmatched top on flat top bodies with binding.
Spalt is difficult to finish as it soaks up a lot of finish. Don't even think about doing a "do-it-yourself"
finish on this stuff. Each piece of Spalted maple is quite unique. It looks awesome with a tobacco burst finish.

Birdseye Maple (Acer saccharum-Hard Maple):

This figure is only found in the eastern hard maple trees. Birdseye does not usually run deep in the boards, so solid
bodies are not available. As a bookmatched top it can be quite striking.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES

NO

Used for laminate tops

X

Used for bodies

X

Used for necks

X

Used for fretboards

X

Burl Maple (Acer macrophyllum-Pacific Maple):

This is a very busy looking wood usually with a lot of porosity and bark inclusions. We only use this wood for
bookmatched tops. Epoxy is used to fill all voids. Burl looks fantastic finished in a natural clear gloss or as a tobacco burst!

YES

NO

Used for laminate tops

X

Used for bodies

X

Used for necks

X

Used for fretboards

X

Padouk, African (Pterocarpus soyauxii):

Bright vivid orange color which oxidizes to a warm brown with use. This waxy feeling wood has an open grain
texture similar to rosewood and a tone similar to maple with great mids and attack. This is a heavy to medium
weight wood that looks great with an oil finish or clear gloss!

Tone-O-Meter™

YES

NO

Used for laminate tops

X

Used for bodies

X

Used for necks

X

Used for fretboards

X

Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera):

This is another standard body wood having been used by many companies over the years. Due to the grey/green color,
this wood is used mostly when solid color finishes are to be applied. Its weight generally runs about one half pound
more than Alder. Tonally, it is similar to Alder as well. Poplar is a closed grain wood that accepts finish well.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES

NO

Used for laminate tops

X

Used for bodies

X

Used for necks

X

Used for fretboards

X

Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens):

We have a nice stash of interesting figured redwood. It is available only as thin bookmatched laminate tops on flat top
solid bodies. Oil finishes or a clear gloss really compliment the reddish color and figure! Redwood is not suitable for hollow bodies.

Unfinished

Roasted Alder (Alnus rubra):

Roasted Alder is Alder that has been heat-treated to remove moisture and other impurities. As a result, the wood becomes somewhat lighter in weight, and more stable. This process also transforms it from its normal light tan color to a deep brown. When finished in clear the wood darkens even further, becoming quite dark. Roasted Alder bodies retain the well-balanced tone that Alder is prized for.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES

NO

Used for laminate tops

X

Used for bodies

X

Used for necks

X

Used for fretboards

X

Unfinished

Finished

Roasted Swamp Ash (Fraxinus americana):

Roasted Swamp Ash is Swamp Ash that has been heat-treated to remove moisture and other impurities. As a result, the wood becomes somewhat lighter in weight, and more rigid. This process also transforms it from its normal creamy color to a deep caramel, and the bold grain patterns become even more accentuated and dark. When finished in clear the wood darkens even further, becoming quite brown. Roasted Swamp Ash bodies retain the full-spectrum, slightly snappy tone that Swamp Ash is prized for.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES

NO

Used for laminate tops

X

Used for bodies

X

Used for necks

X

Used for fretboards

X

Indian Rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia):

This wood species has recently been listed as a controlled export product under the CITES treaty, which regulates international shipping. Due to these recent and unexpected changes to the CITES treaty, Warmoth must temporarily suspend international shipments of products which contain this wood until our permit application is approved. Please contact us for help in determining the best alternative species. Shipments of these woods within the USA are not affected.

A gorgeous exotic wood with rich thick grain covering a range of colors and patterns. These bodies dominate the
heavy wood category with solid Strat® bodies always weighing in at well over 6 lbs. Specifying construction as
hollow or chambered build is always a good idea if you're weight conscious. Finishes can be a little difficult to apply with the oily nature of the wood. You can
expect big warm tones from rosewood with smooth high end roll off. Indian Rosewood Tele® bodies were made popular in the
70s by George Harrison of the Beatles.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES

NO

Used for laminate tops

X

Used for bodies

X

Used for necks

X

Used for fretboards

X

Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis):

Supplied quartersawn, this is the same wood used for acoustic guitar tops. Lightweight but stiff, the color is
creamy white. Available for laminate tops only.

Walnut (Juglans nigra):

Luxurious coloring and grain patterns are the earmarks of Walnut. Whether using an oil finish or a deep clear gloss,
the pleasing appeal of Walnut always delivers. This is an open grained wood. Walnut is in the heavy weight category but
it's not quite as heavy as hard maple. It has a similar sound to hard maple but it tends not to be as bright.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES

NO

Used for laminate tops

X

Used for bodies

X

Used for necks

X

Used for fretboards

X

Figured Walnut (Juglans nigra):

The figure is predominantly flame. It is only available as a bookmatched laminate top. This is a very handsome wood.

Wenge (Millettia laurentii):

Wenge features black and chocolate brown stripes. It is usually quartersawn to yield straight grain - similar to
open grained Zebrawood, but black. This body is in the heavy weight category so considering it as a hollow or chambered
build is beneficial if you're weight conscious. Its weight does offer plenty of sustain though. Oil finishes are most
popular on Wenge but you can also leave them unfinished as well. The tone is balanced with great mid presence and attack.
This is a popular wood for boutique bass builders and its tonal reputation is impressive.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES

NO

Used for laminate tops

X

Used for bodies

X

Used for necks

X

Used for fretboards

X

Zebrawood (Microberlinia brazzavillensis):

You may see where Zebrawood gets its name. The distinctive look tells you it's none other than Zebrawood!
This open grained wood is very heavy so it's primarily used as a bookmatched laminate top. When used as a
body its tone is similar to maple.